Winchester won the M1 Carbine design contract in late October 1941, but it wasn't until 1942 that these arms, chambered for .30 Carbine, arrived on the battlefields of Europe. Total production of the U.S. M1 Carbine came to 6,079,648 units, which is more than the ever-popular M1 Garand during World War II. Several factors contribute to the high production numbers, and though Winchester can be credited for the design, it wasn't the sole contributor of M1 Carbines to the war effort. Others such as Rockola, IBM and General Motors pitched in. For this week's review we take a close look at a flat-bolt M1 Carbine built by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors. To learn more, check out this week's NRA Gun of the Week video hosted by Mark Keefe.
Specifications: Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors ActionType: short-stroke-gas-piston-operated, semi-automatic center-fire rifle Chambering: .30 Carbine Weight: 5 lbs., 1 oz. OverallLength: 35.6” BarrelLength: 18” ProductionDates: August, 1941 to mid-1945 SaginawM1CarbineProduction: 517,212 TotalM1CarbineProduction: 6,079,648